The cosmetic appearance of teeth is of great importance to many individuals. These individuals typically desire a “bright” smile and white teeth. Unfortunately, the surface color of teeth generally dulls and discolors over time due to the absorbent nature of dental material.
Tooth coloration is influenced by a combination of intrinsic, such as age and genetics, and extrinsic factors, such as staining caused by various foods, beverages, medications, and tobacco use. Even with regular brushing and flossing, exposure to staining and discoloring substances can cause noticeable discoloration. As such, there is a need for products and processes to quickly and safely whiten teeth.
One solution to the problem of tooth discoloration is the application of veneer facings made of porcelain, composites or ceramic. However, the application of veneer facings is expensive and requires the assistance of a trained dental professional.
Bleaching agents may be used to whiten teeth. The application of some bleaching agents may require the assistance of a dental professional (i.e., application of concentrated oxidizing agents) and/or multiple applications and may not achieve the desired degree of whitening. Over-the-counter bleaching products typically use lower concentrations of the bleaching agent(s) and often require multiple applications of the product to achieve the desired effect. However, the use of bleaching agents has been associated with several undesirable side effects including chemical burns, irritation to the gums, and an increase in tooth sensitivity.
White colorants may also be used to whiten teeth. The non-toxic colorants are typically white pigment or a combination of white pigments with other non-white pigments to achieve a more “natural” white appearance. However, the use of pigment particles to improve the cosmetic appearance of teeth generally lacks the required durability to achieve the desired cosmetic effect.
There have been various attempts to enhance the binding durability of tooth whitening agents. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005-0069501 to Ibrahim et al. describes the use of a siloxane adhesive and a whitening particulate (hydroxyapatite powder) as a tooth whitening composition. PCT publication WO2006/068011 by Shimako et al. discloses a tooth whitening composition comprising (A) one or more pigments chosen from titanium dioxide, silicon dioxide, zinc oxide, aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide, and zirconium oxide, (B) pullulan, and (C) one or more members selected from lysozyme, cationized cellulose and poly lysine, wherein the components (B) and (C) are used to attach the metal oxide powder on the tooth surface. Neither reference discloses a tooth whitening system comprising a peptide-based reagent comprising a first binding element having strong affinity for a tooth surface and a second binding element capable of non-covalently binding to a ligand property of a particulate benefit agent, such as a white pigment.
Commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 7,220,405 discloses peptide sequences that bind with high affinity to hair, skin and nails and peptide-based conditioners and colorants for hair, skin, and nails. Co-pending and commonly owned U.S. Application Publication Nos. 2005-0226839, 2008-0152600, and 2008-0280810 disclose several tooth-binding peptides identified by biopanning.
In addition to the use of pigments to whiten teeth, particles may be used to deliver a variety of other benefit agents to an oral surface. Non-limiting examples may include an enzyme, an anti-plaque agent, an anti-stain agent, an antimicrobial agent, an anti-caries agent, a flavoring agent, a coolant, or a salivating agent. As such there is a general need to provide compositions and methods to enhance the durability of particulate benefit agents to an oral surface, such as a tooth surface.
The problem to be solved is to provide oral care systems, oral care peptides, and methods of using such composition for peptide-mediated application or an oral care benefit agent to an oral surface.